Gardeners Voice http://gardenersvoice.com Showcasing the best gardening blogs Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 GardenersVoicehttp://feedburner.google.com A Little Bunch of Anemones to Brighten my Day http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/mVJfbtEri98/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:51 +0000 mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=4231

I bought some Anemones today. I couldn’t resist and well, I needed something to brighten up the house. I love Winter, I really do. The light is so…how to describe it… refreshing. But it can get a little samey. And when you add something vibrant, like this, it really stands out. The temperature dropped again today so I’m snuggled up, with the fire lit, drinking coffee with my husband and enjoying my one ‘day off’ of the week. And this little bunch of Anemones are helping me.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/ A Little Bunch of Anemones to Brighten my Day http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/mVJfbtEri98/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:51 +0000 mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=4231

I bought some Anemones today. I couldn’t resist and well, I needed something to brighten up the house. I love Winter, I really do. The light is so…how to describe it… refreshing. But it can get a little samey. And when you add something vibrant, like this, it really stands out. The temperature dropped again today so I’m snuggled up, with the fire lit, drinking coffee with my husband and enjoying my one ‘day off’ of the week. And this little bunch of Anemones are helping me.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/08/a-little-bunch-of-anemones-to-brighten-my-day/ Snappy’s Gardens Blog 2012-02-07 19:42:00 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/TKKGkN63M4E/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:42:00 +0000 snappy http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=c2140a2a4504eaac5561a498b43408a8 Some rare visitors to the garden feeders were this pair of Green finches.They look so serious on their faces with their large bills for cracking seeds.I like their muted olive green feathers with yellow striped wings. I went back to Asda today and impulsively bought another £6 fruit tree.This one is a Pear Tree, the variety William Chretian used extensively for canned fruit in the USA.It is joining the two Cooking Apple Trees that I bought yesterday. I have four trees now to plant in the garden once it defrosts a bit.The snow is still layed on the grass and in the pots.The night time temperature has fallen too freezing everything over. We only have five days until we are flying to New York.I want to have planted my mini orchard or at least potted them up.The Strawberry plants I mail ordered also need planting when the ground is not frozen. I love how a mild January gets you excited about the growing season,and how February brings you back to earth with winter chills.The birds always cheer me up as we wait for the seasons to change.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/ Snappy’s Gardens Blog 2012-02-07 19:42:00 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/TKKGkN63M4E/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:42:00 +0000 snappy http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=c2140a2a4504eaac5561a498b43408a8 Some rare visitors to the garden feeders were this pair of Green finches.They look so serious on their faces with their large bills for cracking seeds.I like their muted olive green feathers with yellow striped wings. I went back to Asda today and impulsively bought another £6 fruit tree.This one is a Pear Tree, the variety William Chretian used extensively for canned fruit in the USA.It is joining the two Cooking Apple Trees that I bought yesterday. I have four trees now to plant in the garden once it defrosts a bit.The snow is still layed on the grass and in the pots.The night time temperature has fallen too freezing everything over. We only have five days until we are flying to New York.I want to have planted my mini orchard or at least potted them up.The Strawberry plants I mail ordered also need planting when the ground is not frozen. I love how a mild January gets you excited about the growing season,and how February brings you back to earth with winter chills.The birds always cheer me up as we wait for the seasons to change.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/snappys-gardens-blog-2012-02-07-194200/ Bird Watching http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/lxLPV6gkgRs/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/bird-watching/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:33:00 +0000 CIELO http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=78dd16390463e8751126a51f8385aa51

Can you imagine? Ah yes, a whole flock of them moved in for a whole full day last Saturday. It was so much fun watching them feeding on ripening fruits on shrubs and trees… from the crabapple tree to the American holly to the dogwood berries, back to the crabapple tree…

Some of them decided that a bath would suit them just fine before they started back into the long journey ahead of them. Were they flying south? I like to believe that as they were flying to a warmer somewhere they looked down and way down there saw the house in the roses, then decided to make a stop in this little oasis.

Many scientists say the American Robin's spring migration follows the "line" formed by 36 degree average temperatures and it’s been so strangely warm around here—above the 30’s on many a day this year. It’s hard to believe we are still in the midst of winter.

The Red-winged Blackbirds were here too; although not in a Hitchcock-like numbers.

I love the soothing song these birds emit. They may not be too ostentatious in their plumage, but they were certainly gifted with a lovely song.

The little Black-capped chickadees mingled with the much larger Robins; content in their surroundings. These birds store seeds and insects in crevices and under structures on the ground, such as twigs. They were making such a delightful ruckus in the garden as they searched for food in heaps of dry leaves.

It was enchanting—the sound; the swishing muffled sound of birds and dry leaves in the ever so quiet afternoon. Moments so soothing and captivating.

And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better a Northern Flicker showed up out of nowhere for a little bit… it was a fleeting moment; almost an ephemeral passing. Like a dream. Was he really here? I am glad I was able to capture a glimpse of this bird with my fuzzy lens… so enthralled I was.

I know we still have a long way before the first daffodils start breaking ground. Certainly, our ever so changing and unpredictable weather can surprise us with some unexpected minus nippy-ness any day, but in the mean time there is sunshine, and sunshiny days across my window... and that is enough for now.

How are your days? Anything exciting? Interesting? Mysterious? Funny? Anything at all? Please do share!


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/bird-watching/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/bird-watching/ Growing for Kids http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/TWtpjoLpghU/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:48 +0000 mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=4214

Growing for kids is not the same as growing with kids – that’s a whole other post. Growing for kids is about growing things that your kids will eat, as opposed to growing things that your kids will like to grow. Are you following me?

In my nearly four years of experience growing for kids (which isn’t a lot so if you a have older children bare this in mind), I’ve found that they like the following:

Peas – green podded to begin with, then purple podded to add wow factor. Mangetout – so sweet when they are picked fresh that they are like candy. Carrots – small, quick growing ones that they can pull themselves. You’ll be amazed at how harvesting their own food can make them actually want to eat it! Strawberries – by the bucketload. Raspberries – ditto. Blueberries – ditto. Blackberries – ditto. Apples, Peaches – not so much Pears as they can’t be eaten directly from the tree. Teeny Tiny Tomatoes, or cherry Tomatoes – again it’s a pick your own thing. Sweetcorn – Summer BBQ, butter dribbling down chin = happy children. Pumpkins – Watching and waiting and talking about Halloween is great fun. Gherkins – Small Cucumbers are a novelty and once the spikes have been washed off will be tolerated in small quantities.

Avoid things that are tough, stringy, need lots of sugar (Rhubarb) or have pips in.

You’ll notice that disappointingly there’s not much that’s green on this list. In our house, at least, there is still a moratorium on the acceptance of green things on the plate – even if they have been grown by Mummy’s own hands. I’ll try again this year but I’m not holding out much hope. At the moment I can only get them to eat Courgettes if I lie and say they are Cucumbers – and that’s not sustainable (or morally acceptable, I suppose).

So there you have it – my non-scientific list of things my children tend to eat from the garden. I’m sure there are children out there who happily munch bucketfuls of Spinach and Kale but they certainly don’t live in my house.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids/ Growing for Kids http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/LIeC8n_zqFQ/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids-2/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:48 +0000 mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=4214

Growing for kids is not the same as growing with kids – that’s a whole other post. Growing for kids is about growing things that your kids will eat, as opposed to growing things that your kids will like to grow. Are you following me?

In my nearly four years of experience growing for kids (which isn’t a lot so if you a have older children bare this in mind), I’ve found that they like the following:

Peas – green podded to begin with, then purple podded to add wow factor. Mangetout – so sweet when they are picked fresh that they are like candy. Carrots – small, quick growing ones that they can pull themselves. You’ll be amazed at how harvesting their own food can make them actually want to eat it! Strawberries – by the bucketload. Raspberries – ditto. Blueberries – ditto. Blackberries – ditto. Apples, Peaches – not so much Pears as they can’t be eaten directly from the tree. Teeny Tiny Tomatoes, or cherry Tomatoes – again it’s a pick your own thing. Sweetcorn – Summer BBQ, butter dribbling down chin = happy children. Pumpkins – Watching and waiting and talking about Halloween is great fun. Gherkins – Small Cucumbers are a novelty and once the spikes have been washed off will be tolerated in small quantities.

Avoid things that are tough, stringy, need lots of sugar (Rhubarb) or have pips in.

You’ll notice that disappointingly there’s not much that’s green on this list. In our house, at least, there is still a moratorium on the acceptance of green things on the plate – even if they have been grown by Mummy’s own hands. I’ll try again this year but I’m not holding out much hope. At the moment I can only get them to eat Courgettes if I lie and say they are Cucumbers – and that’s not sustainable (or morally acceptable, I suppose).

So there you have it – my non-scientific list of things my children tend to eat from the garden. I’m sure there are children out there who happily munch bucketfuls of Spinach and Kale but they certainly don’t live in my house.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids-2/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/07/growing-for-kids-2/ Apples And Diamond http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/VHg5JCMTo00/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond-2/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:18:00 +0000 snappy http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=3702db3f7dd79c21f5352e8744cacbdd I finished my nights this morning and sat down watching the birds in the garden.An elusive visitor is the Nuthatch who comes down to feed on bird seed and sunflower hearts.I have had a pair of Nuthatches visiting together.I will try to get another photo of them.My Betula Utilis variety Doorenbos was delivered today.It was sent in a large cardboard box,taped up,and containing a huge amount of straw used as a natural packing.Cat suggested that I recycle the packing into the Strawberry bed outside and to insulate any winter tender plants.The Himalayan Birch will eventually have white bark.Bluebell Nursery's cut the main stem for me,and it has two other growing stems to hopefully make it grow smaller and more vase shaped.I need to plant it outside in the front grass,when the snow melts and the ground is not frozen.These Strawberry Amelia were delivered a few days ago.I have soaked the roots in water.I will plant these tomorrow.I will clear one quarter of the Strawberry bed to have these new plants growing together.
We went to Asda earlier and I found Fruit Trees for sale at £6 each.A Bramley Apple Tree and a Howgate Wander Apple Tree.They are both cooking Apples,and will complement the Braeburn patio Apple Tree growing in the pot.They need planting when the weather improves a bit.Its not snowed any more but it has been below freezing at night so it has not all melted away yet.
I think as the days start to lengthen then I get more into getting ready for the growing season.The Woodlands Trust has been planting trees as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee, calling them Jubilee Woods.
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx
I have three new Trees now to plant that will always remind me of 2012.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond-2/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond-2/ Apples And Diamond http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/Lz7HhRs4iDo/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:18:00 +0000 snappy http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=3702db3f7dd79c21f5352e8744cacbdd I finished my nights this morning and sat down watching the birds in the garden.An elusive visitor is the Nuthatch who comes down to feed on bird seed and sunflower hearts.I have had a pair of Nuthatches visiting together.I will try to get another photo of them.My Betula Utilis variety Doorenbos was delivered today.It was sent in a large cardboard box,taped up,and containing a huge amount of straw used as a natural packing.Cat suggested that I recycle the packing into the Strawberry bed outside and to insulate any winter tender plants.The Himalayan Birch will eventually have white bark.Bluebell Nursery's cut the main stem for me,and it has two other growing stems to hopefully make it grow smaller and more vase shaped.I need to plant it outside in the front grass,when the snow melts and the ground is not frozen.These Strawberry Amelia were delivered a few days ago.I have soaked the roots in water.I will plant these tomorrow.I will clear one quarter of the Strawberry bed to have these new plants growing together.
We went to Asda earlier and I found Fruit Trees for sale at £6 each.A Bramley Apple Tree and a Howgate Wander Apple Tree.They are both cooking Apples,and will complement the Braeburn patio Apple Tree growing in the pot.They need planting when the weather improves a bit.Its not snowed any more but it has been below freezing at night so it has not all melted away yet.
I think as the days start to lengthen then I get more into getting ready for the growing season.The Woodlands Trust has been planting trees as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee, calling them Jubilee Woods.
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx
I have three new Trees now to plant that will always remind me of 2012.


]]> http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond/feed/ 0 http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/apples-and-diamond/ The magic of Witch Hazel http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GardenersVoice/~3/SeTpIGN8e4I/ http://gardenersvoice.com/2012/02/06/the-magic-of-witch-hazel/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:49:00 +0000 The Garden On Loch Ness http://gardenersvoice.com/?guid=88d0877721d273ec3cfcd72360672c2a I think it is still around and I remember keeping a bottle in my fridge for years when my children were small.

Witch Hazel, Hamamelis mollis is a wonderful shrub, a thing of legend.

These beautiful shrubs flower on bare branches before the leaves.

Hamamelis mollis Pallida is a lovely sulphur yellow variant that flowers in the icy grip of January. The spidery petals are long and with a delicate perfume that rises when in the warmth of a room.
There are darker coloured variants, two of which we grow. Jalena with coppery yellow flowers and Diane, a coppery red.
They are very nice shrubs , but as they flower later in late February/March they somehow don’t seem to make the impact of the early flowering Pallida.
All make an impact in autumn with wonderful rich yellow and red colourings.

Witch hazel is one of those glorious shrubs that you dream of having in your garden.
At Abriachan we had the chance and we planted Hamamelis mollis Pallida about 15 years ago. It is not exactly slow growing, but seems to take to time and it is only this year that I have felt confident to take a branch or two for the house.
I love it, a beautiful, classical beauty.
M


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